Melilla was struck again by immigrants

The Spanish exclave of Mellila faced another large wave of illegal immigrants. About 1,000 Africans stormed the fence that borders Melilla and Morocco and about half of them managed to touch European Union soil.

The hordes of Africans attempted to climb the fences Wednesday morning at 5.30 A.M, local time. They pushed the barriers away, climbed the barbed fence and jumped into Melilla. Local authorities estimated just shy over 400 immigrants made it to the CETI refugee center.

This is considered one of the largest waves of illegal immigrants trying to enter the Spanish territory. “The Guardia Civil police deployed a large number of officers but it was hard to stop them. It was a very large number. They pushed away an exterior part of the barrier,” said Melilla's mayor, Jose Imbroda to RNE.

Melilla and Ceuta are the only land borders the European Union has with the African continent. These two small regions are considered by most illegal immigrants a last stop on their way to Europe, but in recent years numerous died while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

Migrants who reach these two cities are taken to overcrowded centers where they stay until Spanish authorities decide to grant them asylum or send them back. The Spanish Interior Minister said recently almost 24,000 illegal immigrants were sent back in 2013.